Movie · 1987 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 42m · PG · English
Curator score: 7.7/10 (313.4K ratings)
Life. Family. Love.
Overview
37-year-old Italian-American widow Loretta Castorini believes she is unlucky in love, and so accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Johnny, even though she doesn't love him. When she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, an emotional and passionate man, she finds herself drawn to him. She tries to resist, but Ronny, who blames his brother for the loss of his hand, has no scruples about aggressively pursuing her while Johnny is out of the country. As Loretta falls for Ronny, she learns that she's not the only one in her family with a secret romance.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.7/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.79/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 83
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Norman Jewison
Production
Star Partners, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Patrick Palmer & Norman Jewison Productions
Cast
Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aiello, Julie Bovasso, John Mahoney, Louis Guss, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Anita Gillette, Leonardo Cimino, Paula Trueman, Nada Despotovich, Joe Grifasi, Gina DeAngeles, Robin Bartlett, Helen Hanft, David S. Howard, Robert Weil, Amy Aquino
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, witty, emotionally generous romantic comedy with real bite, Moonstruck turns family chaos and late-blooming desire into something both funny and deeply human. Its performances, especially Cher and Nicolas Cage, give it a rare mix of glamour, vulnerability, and operatic feeling.
Best for
romantic comedies with strong chemistry
family ensemble stories
viewers who like sharp dialogue and emotional honesty
fans of big, expressive performances
movies about second chances and messy love
Skip if
you want a low-key or understated romance
you dislike broad, theatrical acting
you prefer plots without family meddling and melodrama
you want a modern, irony-heavy rom-com
Overview
Moonstruck is one of those romantic comedies that feels bigger than the genre around it. It starts with a practical marriage proposal and then lets desire, guilt, superstition, and family obligation collide in a way that is funny, romantic, and slightly unruly. The movie understands that love is often less about compatibility than about being jolted awake.
Worth noting
Cher is terrific as Loretta, playing her with intelligence and a kind of wary self-possession that makes her emotional surrender feel earned. Nicolas Cage brings volcanic intensity and oddball charm, giving the film its unpredictable pulse. Around them, the cast turns the Castorini family into a lively, argumentative, deeply affectionate ecosystem.
Bottom line
What makes the film endure is its balance of comedy and sincerity. It is full of big gestures and sharp one-liners, but it never mocks the seriousness of its characters’ feelings. The result is a classic that is both crowd-pleasing and emotionally shrewd, with a distinctly old-world sense of romance and consequence.
Top Letterboxd reviews
nick (5★) · 11835 likes
me:
ronny cammareri: I LOST 😧 MY HAND ✋🏼 I LOST 😬 MY BRIDE 👰🏼👰🏼 JOHNNY HAS 😳 HIS HAND👏🏼👏🏼 JOHNNY HAS 😫 HIS BRIDE😡👰🏼
ben wyatt human disaster (4★) · 11424 likes
the old man crying because he was confused is me when i found myself growing more and more attracted to nicolas cage
fran hoepfner (5★) · 10828 likes
“Ma, I love him awful.”
“Oh god, that’s too bad.”
#1 gizmo fan (4.5★) · 6748 likes
Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice - it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die. The storybooks are bullshit. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and get in my bed!
mchasin (5★) · 6615 likes
Cher is going to marry Wario, but then she falls in love with Waluigi. And it’s flawless?